


I'd Do Anything

by TitansRule



Category: CSI: NY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-12
Updated: 2012-10-12
Packaged: 2017-11-16 03:58:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/535229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TitansRule/pseuds/TitansRule
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rewrite of 5x25 'Pay Up'. Jessica Angell wasn't the only cop in that diner and he saved her from an untimely death. But no good deed goes unpunished, and our hero is soon fighting for his own life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

_“All officers be advised; shots fired at Tillery’s Diner, officer down.”_

“Shots fired” and “Officer down” were two phrases that no one at NYPD ever wanted to hear in the same broadcast.

For the CSIs, it was worse than usual, because the only officer in the vicinity of the diner was Jessica Angell, who had been accompanying Connor Dunbrook to his father’s trial and who had become an important part of their family.

While her husband tried to get hold of Don Flack – Jess’s partner and boyfriend had the day off and had possibly not heard the 10-13 – Lindsay Monroe pulled up outside the diner, barely waiting for the engine to shut off before jumping from the car and grabbing her case. Her heart pounded with fear as she ran towards the gaping hole in the wall, still filled with an unmoving 18-wheeler, trying not to move the broken glass littering the ground. “What happened?”

“Details are still sketchy, Detective.” The uniform nearest her answered. “In the middle of a barrage of 911 calls, Detective Angell radioed in to report that shots had been fired and an officer was down. The waitress,” he nodded towards a blonde woman talking to another officer, “says that a man in handcuffs we believe to be Connor Dunbrook was kidnapped by whoever attacked and his attorneys rushed the casualty to the hospital when EMTs didn’t look like they were going to arrive.”

“So Detective Angell’s at the hospital?” Lindsay checked, pulling her phone out to tell the lab.

“That’s the weird thing, Detective.” The uniform shook his head. “Detective Angell is still in there. Ambulance still hasn’t arrived and I can’t get her to move or respond.”

Lindsay ducked under the crime scene tape, blinking in the dim light; the semi must have caused the electricity to short-circuit.

The diner was a mess; tables were overturned, food was scattered around her feet. She picked up the smell of gunpowder in the air and knew that ‘shots fired’ had to be the biggest understatement of the century. She paused for a second, pulling out her crime scene camera to take a photo.

In the cab of the semi, the body of a man still sat, a single gunshot wound in his chest, blood staining his white shirt. His face was hidden by a mask, but she could see that his eyes were open, staring unseeing at the opposite wall. The windscreen bore a small hole and Lindsay knew that he had been shot from outside the vehicle.

Detective Jessica Angell sat in front of the counter, leaning against it, her eyes locked on the floor in front of her. As Lindsay approached her, she realised the location of Jess’s gaze; a pool of blood staining the ground.

“You okay, Jess?” Lindsay wasn’t really expecting a response – and she didn’t get one – as she pulled out a crime scene marker and placing it next to the blood, taking a photograph before she moved forwards. “Jess?”

Jess’s right hand was clutching her shoulder, her left arm cradled against her body. Both her hands were covered in blood and her face was white as paper.

Praying for her hands to stop shaking, Lindsay reached out and gently moved her hand, seeing an ugly – but clean – wound, before taking a quick photograph. “Through-and-through. You’re gonna be alright, Jess.”

Still, she got no response.

Lindsay scanned her friend for any other signs of injury, but there were none, which didn’t explain how Jess’s left hand was covered in blood, since there was no way she could reach the wound. Her eyes took in the isolated blood stain on Jess’s left sleeve and came to one conclusion: there was another casualty other than Detective Angell.

And yet ‘officer down’ had been the only report Jess had given; there was nothing to indicate a civilian had been injured.

“Jess,” Lindsay called gently. “Jessica, I need you to look at me.”

Slowly, Jess’s eyes left the blood and met hers, her gaze still a little vacant.

“Jessica, I know you’re in shock.” Lindsay said gently. “And I know you’re hurt.” She could hear the wailing siren of an ambulance outside. “But there was someone else hurt as well; I need to know who it was. It can’t have been a civilian, Jess; you’d have said that over the radio. And you were the only officer scheduled to be here. Who was it?”

“He always eats here on his days off.” Jess murmured.

“Who?” Lindsay could see that Jess’s consciousness was fading. “Jess, who does?”

“’S my fault.” Jess murmured; her eyes fluttered closed and her hand fell from the wound.

Lindsay placed her own hand over the wound as EMTs flooded in, hurrying over with a stretcher. “Leave the body where it is for the time being! Thank you. Victim is Detective Jessica Angell, 27 years old. Suffering from gunshot wound to the left shoulder; through-and-through. I’m going to need her clothes and someone will need to document the wound before you bandage it.”

One of the responders smiled at her. “We know, Detective.”

“I know you do.” Lindsay straightened up as they lifted the stretcher onto a trolley. “But I have to say it.” She took Jess’s hand. “I need a name, Jess. Who was the other casualty?”

The name Jess murmured caused Lindsay’s heart to fall into the pit of her stomach once again. She was forced to release her hand in shock as they loaded her into the ambulance, watching helplessly as the homicide detective finally succumbed to unconsciousness in front of her eyes.

“You riding with us, Detective?”

“No, I’ll drive.” Lindsay told them. “I’ll meet you there.” Hardly noticing the sirens starting up again, she pulled out her phone and dialled a familiar number.

_“Messer.”_

“Danny, you have to get to Angel of Mercy.” Lindsay stated, her voice shaking. “Now.” 

* * *

_Earlier that morning …_

Leaning against the counter of Tillery’s Diner, Jessica watched her charge warily; she was sure he wouldn’t try anything, but she had come to learn that anything was possible in New York City.

At the nearest table, Connor Dunbrook was eating as well as he could in handcuffs, flanked by his two attorneys, looking very out of place in their suits.

Absently, she pulled out her phone, thinking about phoning her partner and boyfriend, Don Flack.

“Hey, Detective.”

A fruitless exercise, given that he was behind her.

Jess glanced over her shoulder with a smile. “Hey, Detective. What are you doing here?”

“My day off.” Don answered. “The question should be, what are _you_ doing here?”

“Babysitting.” Jess jerked her head towards Dunbrook. “With a murder rap hanging over his head, he’s finally decided to spill the beans about dear old dad. The good son’s treating us to breakfast.”

“Let me guess.” Don smirked. “Two eggs over easy, turkey bacon on the crispy side and a glass of orange juice.”

“Am I that predictable?” Jess asked, as the waitress placed that exact order down on the table.

“Nah, I just know you too well.” Don told her, slipping an arm around her waist.

“Don, I’m working.” Jess reminded him, moving away.

They had been dating for just over seven months and had, so far, managed to keep their relationship out of the precinct and quiet – aside from a few rumours around the water cooler. Jess wanted to keep it that way, but she knew that Don wouldn’t be upset if it all came out. Of course, it was alright for him; he was the senior detective. _He_ didn’t have to deal with the spiteful rumours that she was ‘sleeping her way to the top’; she knew they would only get worse if their relationship became public.

“But I’m not.” Don pointed out. “You were just about to phone me, weren’t you?”

“You do know me too well.” Jess muttered. “Yes, but that’s completely different.” She held up a hand. “I’m not doing this here.”

“Fine.” Don sighed. “Dinner tonight?”

Jess smiled at him. “Sure. I’ll see you …”

Then, suddenly, without warning, their world exploded.

An 18-wheeler came hurtling through the window at the front of the diner, evoking screams of terror as people hurled themselves out of the way to avoid being crushed by the huge semi.

It came skidding to a halt as Jess and Don drew their weapons and four masked men jumped out of the back, heading over to where Dunbrook sat, still handcuffed.

Before either Detective could act, another man leapt from the cabin, brandishing a Desert Eagle and began firing in their direction.

The whole thing must have lasted less then a minute, but it seemed to drag on even longer than that for Jess. She emptied her clip rapidly, pausing only to adjust for the recoil and to move out of the way, but this was the sort of situation they warned you about in Tactical Training – a 50 calibre weapon and nothing to use as cover – and their luck soon ran out; there was no time to reload and one of his bullets tore through her left shoulder. A second later, she found herself knocked sideways by Don’s weight falling into her and landed heavily on the ground.

Dimly, she heard running footsteps, followed by the screeching of tires outside. There was a moment of stunned silence before people started screaming, panic spreading fast. But Jess couldn’t think, couldn’t formulate an idea of what to do.

All she was aware of was Don’s weight above her, pinning her to the floor.

And he wasn’t moving.


	2. Chapter Two

Jess hated hospitals. From the time she was a little girl and one of her brothers was always breaking something, whether it was from climbing trees, or football, or baseball, she had hated hospitals.

She hated the hush of the waiting rooms.

She hated the sounds of the machines.

She hated the gowns they made you wear.

She hated how patronising the nurses could be.

She hated how the doctors never told you exactly what was wrong.

But most of all, she hated the waiting.

No one would tell her how Don was doing and all of her questions were met with false smiles and empty words.

By the time Lindsay finally poked her head round the door, Jess was beginning to panic. For the first time, she met her friend’s eyes. “What the hell happened to me?”

“You took a 50 calibre bullet to the shoulder.” Lindsay answered evenly. “The wound was a through-and-through, but hit mostly soft tissue, so you won’t be able to use your left arm for a while, but the doctors are pretty sure you’ll make a full recovery.”

“How’s Don?” Jess asked, dreading the answer.

Lindsay sighed. “He’s still in surgery and they’re not telling us anything.” She took a deep breath. “Detective Angell, I need you to tell me what happened.”

Recognising the professional tone of Lindsay’s voice, Jess nodded, realising that she was a victim in this case. “I was escorting Connor Dunbrook to the courthouse … his lawyers insisted that he needed breakfast, so we went across the street to Tillery’s Diner … It’s Detective Flack’s day off and he always goes there for breakfast on his days off. We were talking and then …”

“Take your time, Jess.” Lindsay told her softly, torn between duty and friendship.

Jess nodded again. “An 18-wheeler came through the store front. Detective Flack and I both drew our weapons; four men exited the back of the vehicle and headed over to Dunbrook. A fifth stayed behind the wheel and a sixth exited the cabin, drew a weapon and began firing at us.”

“He discharged his weapon first?” Lindsay checked.

“Yeah.” Jess frowned. “I don’t … I know I emptied my clip … He was shot twice in the shoulder, I think …”

“The driver ended up dead.” Lindsay told her softly. “Do you know whose bullet that would have been?”

Jess shook her head. “I – I don’t know. After a while, our guns sort of … blended, you know? I felt a pain in my shoulder, and then Don fell against me and we both fell to the floor … I heard running footsteps, then the sound of a car driving away.”

“Did you see the car?” Lindsay prompted.

“No, I couldn’t see anything.” Jess answered. “I was on the ground. I waited a few minutes … when Detective Flack didn’t move, I pushed him off me and realised that he’d been shot …”

“Where?” Lindsay interrupted.

“Um … around here.” Jess gestured to her left side. “I tried to stem the bleeding, but … The ambulance wasn’t coming and …” She took a deep breath, lifting her hand, half expecting to that it was still covered in his blood. “Dunbrook’s attorneys came over and said they’d take him to the hospital; they … they’d already gathered everyone together and told them not to go anywhere, because they’d have to answer questions …” She laughed shakily. “I guess criminal lawyers do have hearts after all.”

“And then what?” Lindsay asked.

Jess shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m here, I guess.” She shifted restlessly. “Do you know when I can get out of here? I know he’s still in surgery, but … I just want to be near him.”

“The doctors want to keep you in overnight for observation.” Lindsay told her gently. “You should be discharged tomorrow.” She cleared her throat. “I just have a few follow-up questions, Jess, okay?”

Jess nodded. “Okay.”

Lindsay checked her notes. “At the diner, I noticed a bloodstain on your left sleeve that didn’t seem to be connected to your wound or the blood on your hands; do you know where it was from?”

“I told you.” Jess stated quietly. “I had to push him off me. I used my left arm; I guess it must have brushed against his wound.”

“Okay.” Lindsay pulled the sling aside slightly, just to make sure there wasn’t a graze on her arm to explain the bloodstain; she knew the DNA would confirm, but they had a backlog at the moment, so anything to make it easier. At the same time, she noticed a curious bruise on Jess’s upper arm, in the shape of what looked like a handprint. “Jess, has anyone grabbed you in the last couple of days?”

“Grabbed me?” Jess repeated. “No. Not that I remember.”

Lindsay nodded, photographing the bruise. “Alright. I’ve gotta get back to the diner and finish processing. I’ll be back later and your parents should be here soon.”

Jess gave her a small nod. “Okay.”

* * *

“How’s Jess?” Stella asked as soon as Lindsay re-entered the diner.

“Still in shock, I think.” Lindsay answered. “She says she’s fine, but she won’t be until Flack’s in recovery. You got the witness reports?”

“Um …” Stella rifled through the paperwork. “Here.”

Lindsay scanned through them. “That’s pretty much what Jess said happened.” She concluded, a small frown on her face.

“What’s wrong?” Stella prompted.

Lindsay stared at the space in front of the semi where they knew the shooter had been standing. “Something’s not right.” She stated quietly, her gaze shifting to the bullet holes in the wall behind the counter. “Something about this whole thing doesn’t make any sense.”

“What do you mean?” Stella asked.

“Here.” Lindsay took her arm and moved her to the shooter’s position. “Stand here. Okay, so we know that Jess was shot first and then Don.”

Stella nodded. “Right. And then Don fell into her, knocking them both to the ground.”

“Yeah, but …” Lindsay headed over to the hole in the wall. “I need a volunteer.”

The uniform she’d spoken to earlier jogged over. “What do you need, Detective?”

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Carlson.” He replied.

“Okay, Carlson, I want you to stand …” Lindsay positioned him in front of the counter “… here. Now.” She stood next to him. “You’re Detective Flack at the moment; I’m Detective Angell. Pretend to shoot Detective Bonasera.”

Carlson complied, aiming his hand in that direction.

“Good.” Lindsay grasped her shoulder as though it had been shot. “Now I want you to pretend you’ve been shot and fall into me. Just fall sideways.”

“Er … alright.” Carlson slumped to the side and Lindsay fell forwards, releasing her shoulder to put a hand out to control her fall, feeling him land on her feet.

“I thought so.” Lindsay announced.

“Did that help?” Carlson asked, offering her a hand up.

“Thank you.” Lindsay brushed herself down. “Yes, it did.”

“Okay.” Stella frowned. “I don’t see your point, Lindsay.”

“If Don was shot and then fell into Jess, she would have controlled her fall; he would have landed on her legs.” Lindsay explained. “But according to her, he landed on top of her; she had to push him off to be able to get up. Now she had a bruise on her upper arm that looked like someone had grabbed her arm.” She turned to the uniform. “This time, I want you to grab my arm and push me to the ground.”

“Are you sure?” Carlson asked dubiously.

“Just do it.” Lindsay rolled her eyes.

“Okay.” Carlson did as he was instructed; Lindsay landed on her side and he landed heavily on top of her.

“That’s what happened.” Lindsay concluded, as he helped her to her feet again. “Don pushed her out the way.”

“Lindsay, we’ve got no proof of that.” Stella reminded her. “There are only security cameras _outside_ the diner, not inside.”

Lindsay sighed, pulling out her phone as it beeped, signalling a new message. _Check out the location; call me back._ She pressed a few buttons, wincing at the photo Danny had sent. “I think we do. Danny just sent me a photo of Don’s wound.” She handed the phone to Stella, who examined the picture. “It’s in his side.”

“But then …” Stella faced the semi, picturing where the shooter had been standing and turned to the side. “He must have been standing like this. You’re right, Lindsay; he was pushing Jess out the way and that means that he did it _before_ the second bullet was fired … But in that case …”

“Was the bullet aimed at him or her?” Lindsay finished grimly. “I’d best call Danny back.” She moved away, waiting for an answer.

_“Messer.”_

“How is he?” Lindsay asked immediately.

Danny sighed. _“It doesn’t look good, babe. It’s too close to the wound from the bombing; they say if it was on the other side, he’d be okay, but … It’s really too soon to tell. What do you got?”_

“It looks like he was shot pushing Jess out the way.” Lindsay told him. “There’s every possibility that he took a bullet for her.”

Danny cursed. _“Do we tell her?”_

“She has to know.” Lindsay admitted. “If he … dies …”she fought to get the word out, hating the way it tasted “… he died saving her life and that’s how he’d have wanted it. You know?”

 _“Yeah, I know.”_ Danny cleared his throat and she knew he was struggling to hold it together, to keep a tough front. _“Can you tell her?”_

“I’ll do it.” Lindsay promised. “I’ll see you later.” Hanging up, she turned back to Stella. Her emotions must have shown on her face, because the older woman closed her eyes.

“Is he …?”

“Hanging on.” Lindsay answered quietly. “Just. I’m going back to the hospital; Jess needs to know about this and I don’t want her to hear about it from some stranger.”

“Right.” Stella agreed. “Go on; go. I’ll get Adam to come and help finish up.”

* * *

When Lindsay arrived back at the hospital, she went down to ICU first, finding her husband in the waiting area, his head in his hands. “Danny.”

Danny glanced up. “I thought you’d go straight to Jess.”

“She’s not the only one who needs me.” Lindsay told him softly. “Don’s your best friend, Danny; you okay?”

Wordlessly, Danny stood up and pulled her into his arms. Lindsay held him tightly, hoping that he could take some form of comfort from her embrace.

“It’s easier.” Danny murmured suddenly. “Knowing what happened.”

“It is?” Lindsay asked, loosening her hold slightly to meet his eyes.

“Yeah.” Danny let out a shaky breath. “Because it’s something I’d do, you know? If he’d just been shot, it’d be bad. But he’s in there because he saved the woman he loved and …” He cupped her face. “You know I love you, right?”

“Of course I do.” Lindsay assured him. “I love you too.”

“He’s never told her.” Danny explained quietly, turning to look at the hospital room. “He keeps asking me how he should bring it up, but … the last time we had that conversation was last night. He never did it.”

“He will.” Lindsay stated confidently. “He’s got her waiting for him, Danny; he has to wake up.”

Danny sighed and kissed her forehead. “I hope you’re right, Montana.”

“So do I.” Lindsay whispered. She reached up and kissed him quickly. “Alright. I’m going up to Recovery.”

“Good luck.” Danny called after her.

When she got there, Jess was once again alone in her hospital room, but looking a lot calmer than she had earlier.

“Didn’t your parents arrive yet?” Lindsay asked curiously.

“Yeah, but they had to get back. Both of them still work after all.” Jess explained with a small smile. “That, and I told them I wasn’t going to spend my recovery with them in Jersey and that I wasn’t even going to pretend to entertain the idea until I knew Don was okay. Is he?”

Lindsay sat down next to her. “He’s out of surgery, but the doctors still aren’t sure about the extent of the damage.” She reached out and took Jess’s good hand. “Listen, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“He pushed me out the way.” Jess whispered. “Didn’t he?”

“Yeah.” Lindsay was surprised. “You know?”

“Not at first.” Jess admitted. “But I thought about the bruise and how I landed … It’s the only explanation.” She took a shaky breath. “Did he take the bullet for me?”

“We don’t know, Jess.” Lindsay squeezed her hand gently. “You just need to remember that, if he did, it was his decision and he wouldn’t want you to feel guilty.”

“I don’t feel guilty.” Jess told her. “I just … I can’t lose him, Lindsay; what if he doesn’t make it? What if I never get a chance to tell him that I love him?”

“Ssh.” Lindsay pulled Jess to her, being careful not to knock her injured shoulder. She felt Jess break down in her arms and her heart ached for her friend. She couldn’t begin to imagine what she was going through; just the thought of losing Danny was too painful to consider.

She remembered how terrified she’d been during the hostage situation at the Wilder crime scene, how awful she’d felt at the hospital afterwards, knowing that it should have been her in that room.

But she knew that none of that could even come close to how Jess must have been feeling at that moment.

“Detective Angell?”

Lindsay glanced up, releasing her hold a little as she did, to see one of the nurses standing in the doorway. “Jess.”

Reluctantly, Jess looked up, her face streaked with tears. “Yes?”

The nurse smiled comfortingly at her. “We’ve just finished running the samples we took from you and I need to do a few more tests.”

“Am I okay?” Jess asked shakily.

“You’re fine.” The nurse assured her, checking the drip beside the bed. “We just need to make sure the baby is as well.”


	3. Chapter Three

Lindsay’s mouth dropped open, her gaze snapping back to Jess, who was staring at the nurse like she’d just grown an extra head.

“I’m sorry; you need to do what?”

“We need to make sure the baby’s okay.” The nurse repeated, a small frown appearing on her face. “You know you’re pregnant, right?”

Jess didn’t answer her. Instead she turned to Lindsay, grasping her hand again. “Lindsay, you need to get him to wake up. I need him. Please.”

“Jess, everything will be okay.” Lindsay soothed. “Do you know how far along she is?”

“Not at the moment, but Dr. Roberts will be along in a minute to perform a sonogram.” The nurse told them.

Lindsay nodded. “Dr. Roberts is lovely, Jess; she was my doctor.”

“And how is Lucy?” Another voice asked from the doorway.

Lindsay glanced over with a smile. “She’s perfect. I am, however, concerned that her first word will be ‘boom’.”

Dr. Roberts laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised. How are you feeling, Detective Angell?”

“Shocked.” Jess admitted. “I’m pregnant?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Dr. Roberts confirmed, wheeling the machine into place. “We’re just about to do a scan to make sure the baby’s alright.”

“But I was shot in the shoulder.” Jess stated shakily. “The baby wasn’t in any danger, right?”

“Well, not from the bullet.” Dr. Roberts agreed gently. “But this much stress this early on can be dangerous.”

“Jess, do you want me to …”

Jess squeezed her hand. “No, stay with me.”

“Alright.” Lindsay pulled her chair closer and they both waited for Dr. Roberts to begin the scan.

A picture appeared on the screen, one Lindsay recognised from her own scans. There was a split-second of heart-stopping silence, then a soft noise started.

Dr. Roberts smiled. “That’s your baby’s heartbeat. And that …” She pointed at a small shape on the screen. “That’s your baby.”

“Oh my God …” Jess whispered, staring at the screen.

* * *

Danny glanced up and took the coffee Lindsay handed to him. “How is she?”

Lindsay smiled, taking the seat next to him. “Pregnant.”

“What?” Danny choked on his coffee. “Did you seriously just say …?”

Lindsay nodded. “They’re having a baby. Dr. Roberts says she’s just over a month along.”

“Did she know?” Danny asked.

“No.” Lindsay shook her head. “And don’t say anything to anyone else.”

“Montana …” Danny looked suitably wounded. “Would I do that?”

“I mean it, Danny.” Lindsay told him. “Anyone else finds out about this and you’re on the couch for the next month.”

Danny cleared his throat. “Duly noted. The doctors are just checking him over again.”

The door opened and the doctor stepped out. “Are you here for Detective Flack?”

“We work with him.” Danny confirmed. “His parents are out of town and I can’t get hold of his sister. How is he?”

The doctor smiled at them. “I am confident he’ll make a full recovery, but we’re still not sure …”

“Of the physical ramifications.” Danny finished with a nod. “Can we see him?”

“Yes, we’ve just taken him off the ventilator; he’s started breathing on his own again.” The doctor held the door open for them.

“Thank you, Doctor.” Lindsay moved to Don’s side, taking in the paleness of his face. “Hey Don … it’s us.”

“Yeah, you’re gonna be okay, buddy.” Danny added.

“And Jess is fine too.” Lindsay added, taking his hand. “She’s gonna be discharged tomorrow.” She hesitated. “She’s really worried about you, Don. You have to wake up.”

The movement was so slight, she thought she imagined it for a second. Then his fingers contracted again and she gasped. “You see that?”

“I saw that.” Danny jumped to his feet again. “I’ll get the doctor.”

“Don?” Lindsay called softly. “Come on, wake up; I know you can hear me. Jess is waiting for you.”

Once again, the mention of her name seemed to stir a subconscious reaction in the comatose detective. He squeezed her hand again and his blue eyes flickered open, a soft groan escaping him.

“Don, you’re alright.” Lindsay told him softly. “You’re fine. Danny’s just gone to get the doctor, alright?”

His lips moved in a soft whisper and she moved closer. “What’s wrong?”  
This time, the noise formed a word. “Jess …”

“She’s fine, Don.” Lindsay stated firmly. “She’s in recovery. I was just talking to her.”

“This is unbelievable.” The doctor commented from the doorway. “I’ve never known anyone to wake so quickly after an injury like that. You must have something important to live for.”

“Yeah, she’s in recovery, waiting until she’s discharged tomorrow.” Lindsay explained. “Anyway you can make a call and let her down here to see him?”

“I’ll see what I can do, Detective.” The doctor promised. “First, Detective Flack, how are you feeling?”

Lindsay slipped a straw into the glass of water on the side and held it out to him. “Here.”

Don took a few sips, grimacing as he swallowed. “Thanks.” He whispered. “As for how I’m feeling, Doctor, everything hurts.”

“Everything?” The doctor checked. “Legs and feet as well?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that good?” Lindsay asked tentatively.

“It means there’s no paralysis.” He told her. “So, yes, it’s very good.”

“Jess.” Don repeated, slightly more urgently.

“Wound to her shoulder was a through-and-through; like I said she’s getting discharged tomorrow.” Lindsay said.

“I need to see her.” Don murmured. “I need to talk to her.”

The doctor scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Lindsay. “Give this to the nurse on duty and bring her down here.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Lindsay pulled her hand from Don’s and stood up, slipping past Danny in the doorway. As she hurried down the corridor, she heard Danny crack a predictable joke about laying down on the job and smiled to herself. _Some things never change._ She reached the nurses’ station in recovery with a bright smile on her face and the on-duty nurse looked up, stunned at her transformation from the worried woman who’d left. “Can I help you, Detective?”

“Yes, Detective Flack has just woken up and is asking for Detective Angell.” Lindsay handed her the note and she read it carefully.

“Very well, Detective.” She smiled. “You know where she is.”

“Thanks.” Lindsay practically skipped over to Jess’s room, slipping through the door. “He’s awake!”

Jess looked up, her mouth falling open. “Is he …?”

“He’s fine.” Lindsay helped her out of bed. “More worried about you than he is himself.”

“Typical.” Jess muttered, leaning a little on her for support. “Now get me down there.”

* * *

Jess had no idea what they would find when they reached Don’s room, but she was relieved to see that he didn’t have many wires attached to him and seemed lucid, chuckling at whatever Danny had said.

But that was nothing compared to the smile that lit up his face when he saw her. “Jess …”

Danny looked up as well and grinned at her. “Hey, Angell; you alright?”

“Fine.” Jess answered.

“Good.” Danny glanced back at Don. “Well, I’ll … I’ll be outside.”

Jess moved forwards and sat down in the chair he vacated. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Don’s eyes lingered on her bandaged shoulder. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Of the two of us, Detective, you’re the one who nearly died,” Jess stated, her voice shaking, “so, of the two of us, you’re the one we’ll be worrying about. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Don grinned at her. “I’d salute, but it hurts to move my arms at the moment.”

Jess swallowed. “Don, you knocked me out the way.”

“Yeah, I did.” Don agreed. “What was I supposed to do, Jess? I saw him line up for another shot; it would have killed you!”

“It nearly killed you!” Jess shot back. “You know what we’re supposed to do in a situation like that! What the hell were you thinking?!”

“I was thinking that I could deal with dying, Jess, but I could not live with losing you.” Don told her quietly, his eyes locked with hers. “It was like everything happened in slow-motion; I couldn’t live without you, Jess. Don’t ask me to try.”

“And what exactly do you think I’ve been going through?” Jess asked shakily, taking his hand as she saw him move to reach for her. “I’m not going anywhere, Don, but please don’t scare me like that again.”

“I’ll try not to.” Don squeezed her hand. “Listen, Jess, I need to tell you something …”

“Not here.” Jess whispered. “Please don’t associate that memory with this place; I hate hospitals.”

“Then maybe you need a reason to like them again.” Don suggested quietly. “If I don’t tell you now, there’s a very real chance I never will. I love you, Jess.”

Jess leaned down to kiss him softly. “I love you too, Don.”

“Why did they want to keep you in overnight?” Don asked.

Jess bit her lip. “About that … I’m fine … but there’s a slight complication …”

“What?” Don prompted. “Babe, what is it?”

Jess took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.” She watched the emotions in his eyes cycle from concern, to disbelief, to shock and then settle on love. He tugged lightly on her hand and she moved closer, enough for him to be able to move their hands to her deceptively flat stomach.

“How long have you known?” Don asked quietly.

“A couple hours.” Jess smiled weakly. “I had no idea until the nurse said they needed to run some tests to make sure that what happened this morning hadn’t …”

“Everything okay?” Don cut her off, sounding worried.

“Perfect.” Jess whispered.

“Good.” Don murmured, his gaze falling to their hands. “Hey, baby. I’m your daddy. Boy or girl?”

Jess laughed. “We won’t be able to find that out for a while. I’m only a month along. Any preference?”

“As long as they’re healthy.” Don shook his head and looked up at her. “You know, my mother will kill me herself if I don’t …”

“Stop.” Jess interrupted. “I know what you’re going to say; please don’t. You and I both know that we were nowhere near that stage before we found out and we’re still not now. Besides, is this really how you want to do that?”

Don cast an eye around the room. “No. No, you’ve got a point there. I just need you to know that I will never leave you.”

“I know that.” Jess assured him with a kiss. “And when that happens, you know I’ll say yes. But not now; not for this reason.”

“I love you, Jess.” Don told her softly. “Both of you.”

“I’m scared, Don.” Jess admitted quietly.

“Me too.” Don stroked her stomach softly. “But we’ll get through this, Jess. Together.”


	4. Epilogue

A scream echoed through the waiting room.

Completely used to it by now, Lindsay and Stella just glanced up from their magazines, before turning back to the stories in front of them.

“I don’t remember you screaming that much, Montana.” Danny commented.

“Each woman experiences childbirth differently, Danny.” Lindsay responded without looking up. “Where are their parents?”

“Outside.” Mac answered, walking back in.

“Why are they mad?” Hawkes asked. “And are we telling Don and Jess?”

“Hell, no.” Stella snorted. “Jess’s parents are mad because they’re not married and their little girl’s having a baby. Don’s parents are mad because they think Jess’s parents are implying that Don’s not good enough for her, And that they’re not married and having a baby.”

“So if they’re both mad for the same reason …” Adam began.

“Don’t bother, Adam.” Lindsay cut him off. “No one said it made sense.”

“The point is,” Mac continued, “that if they’re going to yell at each other, they can do it outside and not in here. It’s a hospital, not a wrestling ring.”

“Well said.” Sid agreed.

Lindsay sighed, and put her magazine away. “Alright, I’m gonna try and calm the waters.” She stood up and made her way out of the waiting room and down to outside the hospital.

Samantha was perched on low wall near the door, chatting to Matt, Jess’s youngest brother, and his wife Sarah. She glanced up as Lindsay approached. “Hey!”

“Detective Monroe.” Matt greeted. “How’s she doing?”

“Well, from the sounds of it, everything’s going great.” Lindsay answered, glancing over at the four parents. “But,” she added, raising her voice, “it’s a pity the baby won’t have any grandparents. Because I know Jess and Don and they’re not beyond stopping their own parents from seeing their child.”

The comment had the desired effect and the yelling stopped.

“Thank you.” Lindsay folded her arms. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed but your children are _adults_ now. And, if I can be perfectly blunt, their child is acting more maturely than you and they haven’t even been born yet.” She held up her hand. “I know you all believe that they should have gotten married first, but Don almost asked her when they first found out …”

“But he didn’t.” Jess’s father interrupted.

“Yeah, because she told him not to.” Lindsay explained. “They were in hospital, he’d nearly died … she asked if that was really how he wanted to propose. And for all we know, he could have. When I asked Jess, she said, and I quote, “Even if he had asked me, we wouldn’t tell anyone until after the baby’s born, because as soon as our parents find out, we’ll have to get married before my due date and I am _not_ getting a wedding dress from a place called ‘It’s never too late’”.”

“I can understand that.” Sarah put in.

“Yeah.” Sam agreed. “Everyone who looked at your wedding photos would think you just did it because of the baby.”

“That’s what everyone does with mine.” Lindsay admitted. “I love my husband more than anything and the day we got married was the happiest day of my life, aside from the day my daughter was born. But I think you’re all forgetting something. Don and Jess weren’t just fooling around, found out they were having a baby and figured they’d better stick together. They really, really love each other. Their child is being born and I do _not_ want to have to walk in there afterwards and ruin this day for them by saying, “Sorry guys, but your parents are too busy yelling at each other to be proud grandparents right now.”” Her voice softened. “My parents were in Montana when my daughter was born. They would have given anything to be here with me and Danny.” She turned to the three onlookers. “It doesn’t sound like it’ll be long. You coming?”

* * *

“Alright, Jessica, try to relax.” Dr. Roberts told her. “Nearly there.”

“Don,” Jess whispered breathlessly. “You’re never touching me again.”

Don kissed her forehead, having already heard all the threats from Danny. “I know, sweetheart.”

“One more push.” Dr. Roberts encouraged.

Jess did as she was told, straining through the pain. Suddenly, every muscle in her body seemed to relax, the pain decreased dramatically and a soft cry filled the room. “Don …”

“It’s a girl.” Don murmured.

Unlike Danny and Lindsay, Don and Jess had elected to wait until the birth to find out the sex of their child.

But Jess had been saying for months that she knew; like Lindsay, she had just had a gut feeling it was a girl.

“It’s a little girl.” Don cupped her face and kissed her softly, not bothering to hide the tears in his eyes. “We have a daughter, Jess …”

* * *

Lindsay, Sam, Sarah and Matt reached the waiting room, just as Don appeared outside, a grin splitting his face in two.

“Well?” Sam asked immediately. “Do I have a niece or a nephew?”

“Niece.” Don answered, accepting her hug. “But we don’t have a name yet, so Jess says can you just bear with us until we think of one.” He looked around. “Where’s Mom and Dad?”

“Outside.” Sam answered casually. “Having a chat with Jess’s parents.”

Don knew she was lying, or at the very least hiding the truth, but he’d had enough arguments with his mother in the last eight months to know better than to ask.

“Take your time.” Matt told him. “We can wait.”

Don nodded his thanks and ducked back into the hospital room, where his girlfriend was cradling their child in her arms, talking softly to her.

“… and there’s Uncle Mac and Aunt Stella, who aren’t married, but only because they’re in denial …”

Don chuckled as he reached her. “Why don’t you let her make that decision for herself?”

“Because she’s too young to.” Jess grinned. “We’re her parents; it’s our job to teach her the ways of the world. And one of those is that some people are very, very stubborn.”

Don wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she shifted over to make room for him to sit down. “We need a name.”

Despite Jess’s conviction that she was carrying a girl, they’d only ever settled on a boy’s name; Michael Louie in memory of Don and Danny’s brothers, both of whom had gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd and paid for it with their lives.

“We could call her Michelle Louise.” Jess suggested, but even as she did, she shook her head. “No, it doesn’t feel right.”

And therein lay the problem. None of the names felt right for this little girl.

“What did you say your grandmother’s name was?” Don asked, glancing down at the tattoo around her left wrist.

“Evangeline.” Jess answered. “We can’t call her that, Don; she’d never hear the end of it.”

“What about a middle name?” Don asked.

Jess considered this for a minute. “Okay. But that really depends on the first name.”

“How about Lily?” Don suggested.

Jess followed his gaze to the ink-replica of the bracelet her beloved maternal grandmother had loved so much. There were many flowers in the circlet, but the lily was the most recognisable. “Lily Evangeline ... It’s pretty, but Lily Flack doesn’t sound right. How about Lilia?”

“Lilia Evangeline Flack.” Don murmured, looking down at the sleeping angel in her mother’s arms. “I like it.”

“Me too.” Jess admitted with a smile.

“She’s taking my name?” Don asked.

“Of course.” Jess answered, as though it should have been obvious.

“Alright.” Don conceded, standing up. “But you’re going to as well.”

“Don …” Jess began.

Don pressed a finger lightly against her lips, stopping her protest. “Wait.” He sat down so he was facing her rather than next to her. “I know what you’re gonna say, Jess. You said it eight months ago. And you were right. We weren’t ready then. If I’d asked, it would have been because of Lilia. But I’m not doing this because it’s the right thing to do, Jess. I’m doing this because I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So if you’re going to say no, say it because you don’t want to marry me, not because you think it’s too soon.”

Jess gave him a watery smile. “You haven’t asked me a question yet.”

Don chuckled. “You and your technicalities.” He stood up again, but this time, he knelt down beside her, taking her hand in his. “Jess, will you marry me?”

“Yes.” Jess whispered, tugging on his hand to get him to stand up again.

Another smile blossoming on his face, Don cupped her face and kissed her softly. “I love you.” He told her softly, before leaning down and kissing Lilia’s head. “Both of you. Do you want me to let the others in?”

“In a minute.” Jess whispered.

Outside the door, Don could hear quiet voices and realised that their parents arrived; Sam’s voice sounded a lot more upbeat as she greeted them and he knew that whatever she’d been avoiding telling him must have been resolved.

Even if it hadn’t, he didn’t think he could bring himself to care. He had his fiancée and their daughter … what else did he need?


End file.
